After dropping the first two games in Sacramento, the Golden State Warriors came back to win Games 3 and 4 at home. Consequently, they tied this first-round series all up. This series now moves back to Sacramento for a critical Game 5. This is where one side may reclaim control with a big win. Ahead of the pivotal Game 5 against the Sacramento Kings, it’s time to release our Warriors predictions.
After splitting the first four games, this best-of-seven series has been reduced to a best-of-three. The Warriors averted falling behind 3-1 with a one-point victory in Game 4. However, they’re not out of the woods yet. The defending champions must now travel to Sacramento, where they were defeated by a combined 11 points in Games 1 and 2. Recall that so far this season, Golden State has struggled on the road. In fact, the Warriors are 11-32 away from the Chase Center. The Kings, on the other hand, have a home record of 25-18. They have certainly proven to be a difficult challenge for the Warriors in this series. With three games decided by eight points or less thus far, home-court advantage might be the difference in what should be a tight Game 5.
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Now, let’s look at four bold predictions for the Warriors as they enter the pivotal game 5 against the Kings.
1. Andrew Wiggins holds De’Aaron Fox to under 30 points
De’Aaron Fox is unstoppable. Let’s just face it, right? The kid averaged around 25.0 points per game in the regular season, and he’s putting up 31.5 points per game in this series. Game 5, however, will be very interesting. Yes, Fox is coming from a 38-point Game 4 performance. He’ll get his buckets in Game 5. However, he won’t go over 30. The Warriors know they cannot completely stymie the former Kentucky Wildcat. Still, they can try to slow him down. They did it twice in this series already. In fact, they held Fox to 24 points in Game 2 and 26 in Game 3. Remember, too, that Fox is currently dealing with a finger injury.
"Steph 'C-Webb' Curry"
Klay Thompson got jokes after the Warriors' Game 4 win over the Kings 💀😂
(via @NBA/ IG)pic.twitter.com/sDUJsCoaiC
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 24, 2023
Much of the defensive responsibility falls on Andrew Wiggins, of course. The Canadian wingman will try to slow Fox down as much as he can. That likely means Wiggins needs to prioritize stopping Fox’s dribble-drive attack over the latter’s perimeter game. Again, Wiggins won’t completely shackle Fox. That’s just impossible. However, if Wiggins can keep Fox to below 30 points, that’d be a huge W for him already.
2. Steph Curry scores over 30 points
On the other end of the floor, arguably the greatest shooter in NBA history will catch fire. Curry has averaged 31.5 points per game in this series and scored 68 points in Games 3 and 4. He is shooting 48.9 percent from the field, including 40.0 percent from beyond the arc. He’s scoring about as much as Fox but more efficiently.
We see that trend continuing to hold in Game 5. As Curry won’t need to expend so much energy stopping Fox on defense, he can unload as much as he wants on offense. He won’t shy away from any shot, and there’s hardly any King who can stop him either. He should hit at least five triples in Game 5 en route to another 30+ point performance.
3. Kevon Looney grabs more rebounds than Domantas Sabonis
Kevon Looney won’t give the Dubs a ton of scores. However, he’ll grab those boards like crazy. He averaged just 8.0 rebounds in Games 1 and 2, but in Games 3 and 4 Looney was a revelation. He averaged 17.0 rebounds per game in those two contests, even outrebounding Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis.
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Looney should ride that wave and continue his strong rebounding in Game 5. We can easily see him hauling down more than 12 rebounds as he continues to outwork Sabonis on the glass. That’s going to be huge, of course, as the Dubs try to go up 3-2 in this series.
4. Warriors go up 3-2 after winning Game 5
The Warriors were expected to turn up the heat and overwhelm the Kings with their exceptional three-point shooting skills. Despite a minor mishap when Steph Curry called a timeout they didn’t have, resulting in a technical foul, the Warriors remained composed and put up a solid defensive performance in Game 4. They were particularly lethal from beyond the arc. They shot 41.0 percent overall and 50.0 percent from the field. However, their inconsistent record in away games is a cause for concern. That said, the Dubs are coming off a high in Game 4. That momentum should make them more dangerous than usual in Sacramento.
In the crucial Game 5, the Warriors need to prioritize playing clean basketball and avoiding turnovers. That has been their downfall in the past. They are likely to win if they hit enough shots, especially since they have a good record when scoring over 118 points.
Source: https:/clutchpoints.com
